BASRA: Hosts Iraq will meet Oman in the final of the 25th Arabian Gulf Cup in Basra on Thursday, after both teams recorded narrow victories in Monday’s semi-finals.
Iraq, who last appeared in the final of the biennial tournament in 2013 and last lifted the trophy in 1988, thrilled more than 60,000 fans at Basra International Stadium with a hard-fought 2-1 win over the 2022 World Cup hosts, Qatar.
Ibrahim Bayesh has been one of the standouts of the tournament, and the 22-year-old Iraqi midfielder was the one to open the scoring after 19 minutes when he swept home the rebound from close range after goalkeeper Meshaal Barsham could only parry a header from a free-kick.
Nine minutes later, however, Qatar were back on level terms. Iraqi goalkeeper Jalan Hassan tried to punch clear a back-heel that had gone wrong but the ball fell to Amro Surag to volley home through a crowd of players.